Florida is still short of about 500,000 jobs in reaching a pre-recession peak of more than 8 million jobs, according to the business group the Florida Chamber Foundation. Using St. Louis Federal Reserve data, the foundation found the state had the highest number of jobs in March 2007, half a year before the Great Recession hit in December 2007. More at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Florida Chamber Foundation.

State, All Aboard Florida sign deal for Miami-to-Orlando train

A train that would link Orlando to Miami has taken a giant step closer to becoming reality. The builders of All Aboard Florida reached an agreement with the state to lay tracks on land along the BeachLine Expressway. More at the Orlando Sentinel.

Bill Tabone spent much of his career as a stockbroker and financial wholesaler. He lost his job in the recession but has bounded back with Play Harder Tours, a business revolving around parties, travel and beer.

President Barack Obama unveiled his plan Tuesday to clamp down on utilities and the heat-trapping pollution emitted by their power plants, which could lead to higher electric bills in Central Florida and other parts of the U.S. that depend on plants that burn coal. More at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

BP mounts offensive in spill settlement dispute

With an ad blitz and a tersely worded letter, BP is mounting an increasingly aggressive campaign to challenge what could be billions of dollars in settlement payouts to businesses following its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. More at the AP.

Demanding workplaces necessary for some -- or are they?

A new study from Harvard Business Review says putting in more than 70 hours per week reduces work performance to roughly the same level as being inebriated. And a new FSU study on workaholics found that when employees habits fall far on either the low or high end of the “workaholism’’ scale, both the company and the employee are likely to suffer. More at the Miami Herald.

Out of the Box 95-year-old Delray man invents a better screwdriver

Anyone who has ever used a screwdriver knows the frustration — the tool just won't stay put on the head of the screw. Ninety-five-year-old Bernard Jacovitz has a solution. The Delray Beach resident recently patented a new design for a screwdriver and screws that have been modified with extra notches to guarantee traction. This is his third patented invention.